Injured Pacioretty will join Habs on road trip

The Canadiens headed out for a four-game road trip in Western Canada after practice Monday.

Max Pacioretty, who missed Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers with an upper-body injury, will make the trip with the team. Pacioretty wore a no-contact jersey during the Monday morning practice at the team’s training facility in Brossard.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. If he feels good to compete then, we’ll definitely put him in the lineup,” said coach Michel Therrien, adding that a player always has to be in a position to be able to compete.

Therrien said he expected the road trip – with stops in Calgary Wednesday, Edmonton Thursday, Vancouver Saturday and Winnipeg next Tuesday – will be good for the team.

“It’s always good for team chemistry, leaving early in the season and spending some time together off the ice,” the coach said.

Therrien confirmed that backup goaltender Peter Budaj will play during the western swing, although he didn’t say when.

Brandon Prust filled in at practice for Pacioretty on the line centred by David Desharnais with Daniel Brière.

Therrien acknowledged he expects more from that line.

“We want the competition level to rise,” the coach said.

Lars Eller was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week after registering three goals and two assists in the first two games of the season. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin was named the first star, while Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was named the third star.

Here’s how the lines and defence pairings looked at Monday’s practice:

776 Comments

This tour of the Bell Centre suggested by Ian for $6.00…. scares me
Gathering all the HIO members for an innocent get together seems … a little wierd.
It seems obvious that after there will be gathering at a local watering hole …. & then…
A simple, innocent invitation to someones’ hotel room…
Just a night cap you say ?
The family is just a front !
Ever talked Habs in bed BIG GUY !

Time to put Briere back at center where he belongs between Max Pac and Prust ……The Flyers had the centers and most importantly the size to afford to play DB on the wing…..they can’t keep throwing DD into the top 6…Habs should admit their mistake by trading(doubtful) or waiving him.

Colton Orr has injured three of our players since last January. Bourque missed about half of last season with the concussion he got from Orr’s punch, who knows when Parros will be back, and Pacioretty has missed one game and may not be 100% for a while if it was a wrist. I’m not advocating any of our players deliberately trying to injure the Leafs, but if a couple of their skilled players did get injured next time we play them, I would not be sorry. Nothing terminal or career-threatening, just something to keep them out for a few weeks or months.

I don’t think there is a need to wait until more Habs get injured by Orr. Also, it doesn’t have to be Habs players injuring him… Say Bruins can do the job as well. I am sure there is lots of love between these two team since last playoffs so who knows…

JF, I somewhat said the same thing after the first game, imo, it’s ORR we need to put out! but I’m not sure who’s up to it except Parros I suppose. Still doesn’t mean one of the lightweights can’t smoke him whenever they get the chance and give him a taste of his own medicine!

Job posted on Canda jobs .com.
Assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Canucks,can’t post a link or copy it,but it’a 70k a year,must have degrees, in all sorts of things to do with physical education,plus a second language,of either Swedish Russian or Finnish.

All Swede’s have English as a second language,and speak it better than,most English, Americans and Canadians,or other English speaking nations,their diction is better, their grammer is better,so why would they need a Swedish speaking coach.

Anyway for 70k they want an awful lot,but it would be a perfect job for either of the Gallies dads,not sure if they have all the qualifications.
GO HABS GO

Most of us are concerned with Desharnias and Briere, with good reason. Even though it’s only been two games, neither one of them has looked good going back to last season. Honestly, I think that line still has what it takes to put together a decent season, and that’s all we really need them to do.

I think we’re fortunate to have two very good lines. I think the Plekanec line and Elller line should be rewarded with more minutes than the Desharnais line.

Bourque-Plekanec-Gionta is a very good line and the Galchenyuk-Eller-Gallagher line has the potential to be great. So lets just keep our fingers crossed Pacioretty-Desharnais-Briere get it going.

In summary, Dehsarnais and Briere shouldn’t have to preform miracles but just be steady. Only problem is Paciorretty can’t play 3rd line minutes.

Without him, centre David Desharnais and newcomer Daniel Briere, with Brandon Prust filling in on left wing, have been ineffective.

“Honestly, I expect more from that line,” said Therrien. “We want to see the compete level go up.”

I think we all expect more from that line. I hope for more. I just sense that some posters want it to fail, to confirm their own biases. As if David Desharnais failing will help Lars Eller. Personally, I want all three lines working, so we have that balanced scoring forward lineup in lieu of a dominant Toews-Kane-Whoever line.